The Party
by St0ryTeller
Summary: Liza and Charles go to a party, to run into unexpected events.


He held onto her close as they swayed to the music. A live string quartet was playing, as a room full of people danced around in pairs. One hand pressed against her lower back, the other holding her hand up in front of their chests. She held him close too, her other hand was pressed around his upper back, head against his chest facing into him. As the music played, they both just breathed each other in. How long they had waited to be so public, yet so intimate with each other. It was a gentle rocking, full of so much emotion, fitting the music playing perfectly. He in a suit, she in a long, red dress of satin that fell down close to the floor. Her heels meant the edge of her dress danced near her ankles, with each step they took.

It was Bob and Julia's wedding anniversary. 20 years of marriage, so they'd decided to throw a big party for the occasion. They'd seen their friends earlier, but there were so many people, right now Charles and Liza were lost in the crowd. _Perfectly_ lost in the crowd.

He dipped his head slightly and she read him like a book, slowly lifting her head with eyes closed to kiss him tenderly. Her hand broke from his and tucked around behind his ear, playing with his hair, his hands rubbing her back gently. It wasn't long, or too bold, but sweet. They broke apart and just looked into each other's eyes with soft smiles. Content. They didn't need anything from each other more than they already were; in love, intellectually in sync, with kindness and understanding. They simply _were_. And they both silently knew that they would be this for the rest of their lives.

Julia had told Liza that Caitlin had been invited to the party. She hadn't seen Caitlin much for the last month, being busy wish school and her friends. She was still a mum though, and didn't want her daughter seeing too much of the private moments between her and Charles here tonight. Some moments were meant to be theirs. With strangers, or just a few friends, yes. But a daughter should only see so much.

On the same page again without a word, they both smiled and had a little chuckle as they held hands and walked towards the refreshments. Liza looked up towards the door casually as Charles poured two cups of punch. Just then, Liza saw Caitlin enter the room.

Though she wasn't alone.

On her arm was Josh, and Liza just froze in place and instantly went white. Charles noticed straight away and looked at her, perplexed, swallowing deeply, concerned. 'Liza?' he asked without a response. He followed her eye-line to the front door of the hall. He saw the same sight as she and almost dropped one of the cups of drink, spilling it on his hand.

'Ah, damn', he sighed, placing the cups down with a fumble and rubbing his hand on his suit. It didn't spill on the floor, just him. Not that he actually cared about _that_ right now.

'Liza?' he looked at her, and put his fingertips on her hips, trying to get her to look away, but she couldn't.

'Uh,' Charles said, and looked back at the sight, waiting for Caitlin and Josh to ultimately notice them too. What else could he do? He was stunned.

'Liza- did you know?- uh-' he tried to illicit a response and in the end, he swallowed sharply again and grabbed her hand, his thumb rubbing circles on her skin.

'Mum!' Caitlin screamed in fright, having walked forward and saw Liza frozen in place. Clearly not having received the memo that Liza and Charles would be at the party. Liza thought he daughter could have worked it out, with her friendship with Bob and Julia, as well as Charles' long-term friendship that Caitlin knew about from the Christmas party.

Josh stood uncomfortable, next to Caitlin and slowly grabbed her hand.

'How long?' Liza asked, point blank.

'About 2 months,' Caitlin responded coldly. She had been dreading telling her mum, and had no idea how she could. But it wasn't planned, and her and Josh just _worked_ well together. They'd started txting a bit after Christmas, and with Claire turning up pregnant, he needed a friend to share his concerns. A substitute Liza. Friend turned into something more, somewhere along the line.

Charles and Josh just looked at each other, little movement coming from either. Charles' ears were practically steaming as his stern expression started slowly turning red. In this situation, the woman he loved, his almost-daughter he loved by connection had both had been with _this_ man, whom he honestly detested. At least he knew his instincts were right.

People near by had started to notice that a tension-filled stand-off was happening. All they had to do was look, and daggers were being silently thrown. 'Liza, honey,' he stepped in front of Liza's eye-line. 'We need to talk about this privately,' Charles attempted to encourage breaking a very public moment.

'This has zero to do with you,' Josh piped in, causing Charles to turn a bright red in an instant and Liza to throw her glare from Caitlin to him. She pushed through Charles and started smacking Josh, his chest, his arms. Charles pulled her straight off. Physique wise, she was as light as a feather to him. Bob and Julia had now joined in watching, shocked, along with a group.

'He touches you how he used to touch me?' Liza asked Caitlin, sickened, tilting her head at her daughter inquisitively. They both started to tear-up at this question. 'How could you?' she asked Josh, before Charles scooped her up under her arms and carried her through the crowd, as far away from the scene as possible, while she cried into his neck.


End file.
